Upholstered adjustable chair



Aug. 1942- F. c; VERNON v 2, 92, I

UPHOLSTERED ADJUSTABLE CHAIR Filed Jan. 28, 1941 3-Sheets-Sheet l- FOIQEST'C. fiezvo/v Patented Aug. l1, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE urnons'mnnn ADJUSTABLE CHAIR,

Forest Vernon, Dayton, Ohio K Application January 28, 1941, Serial No. 576,325 Claims (01.155-5) (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

The invention relates to an improved adjustable chair, and has particular reference to achair,

or seat, for a vehicle such as an airplane or the like.

The general object of the invention is to provide an improved chair, for use in vehicles, which is readily adjustable to accommodate persons of different stature,and which is, at the same time,

' strong-and rugged in construction.

A particular object is to provide a chair having adjustments -to varythe' height of the seat, the inclinationof the seat portion with respect to the back portion, and the fore-and-aft position of the chair as a' whole.

A further object is to provide a chair, for an airplane'or the like,"having elements of permanent upholstery, and also having elements of removable upholstery, or cushions, which may be removed when a parachute pack of either the seat or back .type is'wom.'. I These and other objects will become apparent as the description proceeds in connection with the accompanying drawings; in which:

. 1 is a perspective view of a chair con-' structed according to the present invention, having the back and seat cushions removed;

Fig. 2 is a-perspective view of. a back cushion in which a portion is broken away; I

Fig. 3 is aperspectlve view of a seat cushion; Fig. 4'isa side elevation view of the chair with the removable cushions in place therein;

' Fig.5 is a fragmentary viewin front elevation showing the locking device for maintainingthe forward part of the hinged seat selected height and inclination; Fig. 6 is a section taken on the line Ii-Bof Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a rear broken away; a 8 is a fragmentary view showing the locking'device for holding thechair in a desired fore and-aft adjusted position.

The chair of the present invention is supported element at a elevation of the chairwith parts tracks for limiting the movement of'carriages 5 which directly support the chair. The carriages 5 are constructed to ride upon the tracks I by means of rollers or antifriction surfaces and are provided with flanges I3 partially surrounding the upper flanges of the tracks to prevent disengagement or removal of the carriages from the tracks. 7 I

Each carriage 5 carries an upright tubular support 6 provided with apertures 1 in the manner illustrated, these tubular supports slidably carrying thereon a seat shell 8. .The seat shell 8 comprises essentially a back portion 9 and a bottom portion I 0, and carries an adjustable seat element II pivotally connected at the rear edge thereof, by means of the hinge I2, with the said shell 8. To provide for vertical adjustment, the

. shell 8 carries a pair of guides 2| slidably encircling the tubular supports 5, and a pair of de-' pending posts 22 slidably telescoping into the tubular supports 6, the open upper ends of the tubular supports 6 being indicated by the reference numeral 23. Structural members I8, I9,

and 20 maintain the supports 6 in proper alignment. The-structure thus-far described provides for fore-and-aft, or longitudinal, movement of the seat shell upon the tracks I', height adjustments of the seat-shell by verticalmovement on the tubular. supports 6, and variation of the inclination of the seat element II with respect to the back portion 9.

4 Locking means are provided for each of these adjustments operative in any one of a plurality of selected .positions. Carriages 5 may be locked riages 5, carries the springs 3| and is provided 2' at itsjends with arms 26 for depressing and lifting the detent rods 24. One of the arms 26 is connected by a link 2-! to a crank arm 28 operable'by a lever 29'which is plvotally mounted upon one of the tubular supports 5; In this manupon'the tracks I for fore-and-aft adjustment,

the said tracks being provided with ears 2-for securing the same to a floor or other-support. The tracks-I are constituted by structural members resembling smallI-beams having a plurality of apertures 3 of limited depth provided in the top surfaces for locking the ,chair in selected positions. Stops 4 are provided at the ends of the ner,'it will be seen that the detent rods 24 may be lifted out of the apertures 3, against the spring tension referred to, by lifting upwardly upon the lever 29. Upon releasing the lever 29, the springs 3| return the detent rods 24 intocontact with the upper surface of the tracks I-so that whenever an-aperture 3 is presentedopposite the lower .end of a detent rod 2.4, thejlatter will snap into locking engagement with the 'track. Details of this locking mechanism are best-shown in Figs. 7 and 8.

In a similar manner, the underside of the bottom portion lb of the seat shell 3,carries detent rods 36 having'rearward ends engageable with the apertures I in each of the tubular supp rts 6, locking engagement being maintained by means of springs 31. The detent rods 36 have forward ends connected to crank arms 36 on a transverse shaft 39, which shaft is carried by the. seat shell 6 and operable by a release lever 46 in such a manner that an upward movement of the lever 40 will withdraw the rearward ends of the detent rods 36 from the apertures I. The seat shell guides 2| are provided with ears 46 for anchoring the ends of an elastic cord 41, which cord is tensioned to raise the seat shell 8 when the detent rods 36 are withdrawn. Instead of the elastic in the tubular supports 6 to lift the seat shell 3.

cushion body 62 of shape of a back-type parachute pack which will fit the curvature of the back portion 6 and present a substantially fiat cushioning support for the occupant's back. A band of material 63 is.

attached along the rounded top edge of the cushion 62 in such a manner that it is adapted to fold 7 over and form a pocket to envelop the rounded marginal part of the back portion 5 of the seat shell in the manner illustrated, to hold the top of the cushion 62 snugly against said back portion. The seat shell is provided with quick-release fastening mea'ns,.such as snap fasteners 64, which are adapted to cooperate with complementary fastening means 65 on the band 63. Thus the cushion 62 may readily be applied to thechair by slipping the band-63 over the top of the back portion 3 and snap ing the elements 65 The seat shell is lowered to a selected position by the action of the occupant in applying sufiicient weight to depress the shell to the desired level. In addition to the fore-and-aft and vertical locking adjustments already described, a further locking adjustment is provided to give support under an occupants knees at a comfortable height, by varying the inclination of the hinged seat element H with respect to the back portion 9. To this end, the underside of the forward portion'of the seat element H is provided with a pair of bearing breakets 56 carrying a transverse shaft 5| equipped with rotatable dogs 52, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. The dogs 52 are eccentrically positioned with respect to the shaft 5| in the manner shown in Fig. 6 and are aligned with arcuate toothed portions 53 on the forward parts of the seat shellfl so that the weight carriedby the forward portion of the seat element II will bear upon the toothed portions 53 when the dogs 52 are rotated into locln'ng position, as shown. A lever 54 is provided-on one end of the shaft 5| for rotating the dogs 52 in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Figs. 4 and 6, to clear the tips of the teeth 53 to free the seat element H for vertical angular adjustment.v When the lever 54 is released, the dogs 52 are returned to the locking position shown by the action of a spring 55 having a portion thereof bearing against, or anchored to, the underside of seat element The eccentric position of the dogs 52- on the shaft 5| is such that when a weight is impressed upon the shaft 5|-as, for instance,'

the weight of an occupant upon the seat element ||such weight will tend to assist the spring in maintaining the dogs 52 in the locked position shown. This is so because the cam shape of the dogs 52 requires a slight upward movement of the seat element before the dogs can rotate clear of the teeth 53. A flange 56 may be provided on one face of each dog 52, as shown, to assist in maintaining alignment with the toothed portion 53. a 6

Another feature of novelty in the present invention is the provision of improved seat and back cushions which are removable to permit the use ofeither seat-' or back-typev parachute packs.

If no parachute is-wom by the occupant,'the seat and back cushions may both be used in the chair.

bolstered chair back. If a back-type parachute pack is worn, the cushion 62 may be readily -'removed, the space occupied thereby being of a size and shape to accommodate the parachute pack with its lower end resting upon the cushion 6|.

The seat element H is seen to be of a hollow configuration to accommodate the seat cushion 66, which cushion is of the approximate size and shape of a seat-type parachute pack. when a seat pack is not worn, the cushion 66 will support an occupant in the'chair in the same relative position as when the occupant'is wearing the pack. The forward edge of the seat element II is provided with two fixed cushions 61 adapted to provide support under the occupants knees at an elevation determined by the adjustment on the arcuately toothed portions 53, in the manner previously described. By providing individual cushions 61 for each leg, it is possible to give comfortable support under the knees of the occupant and at the same time maintain an open space'therebetween for manipulation of the control stick. In lieu of the two cushions 61, a single fixed cushion may be used by inwardly curving the forward edge thereof in its central portion to provide a space for movement of the control stick. The depth of the hollow seat element II is such that the top surface of the cushion 66,

and scope of the invention as defined in the ap- In addition to the removable back cushion, the A back portion 9 of the seat shell is seen to be provided with fixed upholstery or cushions 60 to protect the side edges of the bucket-shaped shell. In the present embodiment, a small cushion 6| is also fixed in the lowerpart of the back porpended claims. Other locking or latching mechanism may be usedwhich will function to es-' tablish the required adjustments.

The terms horizontal and vertical as herein used are understood to e considered as relative and approximate, and not as strict-limitations defining an exact position or angular relationship. For instance, the reference to vertical adjustment and, vertical upright supports pertains to the general raising or lowering of the height of the seat, regardless of whether or not the path of travel lies in a strictly vertical line. Likewise, the tracks I may be described as tion in the manner illustrated in Fig. 1. The re-v movable back cushion .then comprises a main horizontal, regardless of whether the floor or support on which they are laid is strictly horizontal or not, because obviously, in a vehicle such the approximate I and as an airplane, a floor surface which might be invention have been accomplished in the structure described herein. While it is not intended to limit the use of the invention, it may be pointed out that the chair forming the subject matter of the present invention is particularly suited for long airplane flights where a considerable degree of comfort is essential for the operating crew to maintain alertness by eliminating,-

as far as possible, fatigue arising from physical discomfort. The construction of they resent chair enables an occupant to adjust the position,

height, and knee elevation to suit his personal comfort, and to change any of these adjustments from time to time without arising from the chair. In addition, the nature of the removable cushions permits the use of either seatorback-type parachute packs without sacrificing any of the other advantages pointed out.

I claim:

1. In a vehicle chair or the like having an upright back portion, cushion elements on the side edges of said back portion, and a removable back cushion adapted to fit between said cushion elements, said removable cushion having a pocket along its upper edge adapted to envelop the top of said back portion of said chair and position said removable cushion, said cushion elements serving to prevent lateraldisplacement of said removable cushion.

2. In an adjustable chair for a vehicle or the like, a pair of supporting carriages, an upright tubular column on each of said carriages, a seat shell having a pair of posts depending from the upper part thereof and slidably received within said columns for vertical movement, a pair of guides on the lower part of said seat shell slidable on said tubular columns, resilient means for raising said seat shell, and means for locking said seat shell in a plurality of vertically adjusted positions, said locking means comprising manipulable detent means associated with said guides on said seat shell and a plurality of detent engaging means on said tubular columns.

' 3. In an adiudable chair for a vehicle or the like, a vertically adjustable rigid seat shell, said seat shell comprising an integral bucket-shaped back portion and a bottom portion, low side walls formed as forward continuations of said back portion, a deep pan-shaped seat element hinged along its rear side to the lower part of said back portion of said seat shell, said pan-shaped seat element having side walls lying adjacent and within said low side walls on said seat shell, said seat element being of a size and depth to accommodate a conventional seat type parachute pack, means on the forward edge of said seat element to provide support under the knees of an occupant of said chair, and means to adjust the inclination ofsaid seat element in said seat shell to support an occupants knees at desired heights in accordance with the selected vertical adjustments of said shell.

4. A vehicle chair comprising a back portion and a seat portion, cushion elements on the side edges of said back portion, a removable back cushion for said back portion adapted to fit between said cushion elements, a removable seat cushion on said seat portion, and a, forwardly projecting cushion fixed to the'leading edge of said seat portion with the top surface thereof in continuation with the top surface-of said seat cushion,said removable cushions having thicknesses approximately equal to back and seat type parachute packs respectively so as to support an occupant in the chair in the'same position as when wearing a parachute pack of either type.

5. In an adjustable chair for a vehicle or the like, a rigid seat shell comprising an integral bucket-shaped back portion and a bottom partion, low side walls formed as forward continuations of said back portion, a deep pan-shaped seat element hinged along its rear side to the lower part of said back portion of said seat shell,

' said pan-shaped seat element having side walls lying adjacent and within said low side walls on said seat shell, said seat element being of a size and depth to accommodate a conventional seat type parachute pack, a forwardly projecting cushion fixed to the leading edge of said seat element with the top surface thereof in continuation with the top surface of said parachute pack, and means to adjust the inclination of said element with respect to its supporting seat shell.

FOREST C. VERNON. 

